That is extremely acidic water as potable water goes, and I've never heard of water being too acidic to drink but, it is dissolving any metals in your plumbing and adding those metals to the water. That may make the water nonpotable.

This is serious and copper tubing will seriously suffer, all the way to pinhole leaks and other thinning of the wall from the inside.

gary slusser

Sir
so what can i do? I have looked at systems that cost a minimum $500 is there something cheaper i can do until i have the money to install an expensive system. I just moved here and im financially strapped. this is well water. the water is also hard, i bought a water softener that i will have on saturday. this i will install as i am a plumber ( retired ) from nyc. now i live in pa. ive never experienced water so acidic. do you have any suggestions. Or tell me what i have to get when i have the money. Please be specific.
thank you for your expertise
Geoffrey gross

mr slusser

My water is hard, dry skin , bar soap will not lather, white residue on pots and pans, water in washing machine has almost no suds. i tested the water (kit). It came up hard and with a ph of 5. I know a kit is semi reliable.But in all my years of plumbing the above facts mean hard water. I could be wrong i guess. i am sending the water to a lab in a few days. As i just bought the house the water was tested for everything including radon. But the testing did not include ph or hardness. There are only two of us were, so the size of the house is arbitrary, i believe. again i could be wrong. But if it will help i have 2 1/2 baths. what is a AN filter? all the water closets are new so they use less water than the old ones. 1.6 gallons a flush. I do however have a whirlpool bathtub.So i would appreciate your expertise on this subject. I have a whole house sediment filter installed. as long as i can pick your brain, would the softener go before or after the AN filter? As i have not installed the water softener yet. Which AN filter do i need, size, company and price. I would greatly appreciate your experience in this matter.
thank you for your time and knowledge
Geoffrey Gross

What I meant was you need acid neutralization much more than a softener but, since an AN filter adds hardness to the water, your present softener may now be too small after you fix the acid problem. And anyone you bought a softener from should have told you that, before you bought a softener that is too small.

Now I see you don't know how hard the water is, so how did you go about sizing the softener you bought already?

It probably best the drink water around or above 7 pH. Juices and other beverages are much lower.

Raising your pH to 7 or above by means of a calcite AN filter will raise you hardness 4-6 grains and your present softener will most likely be OK with proper adjustments. I would imagine you hardness is in the 3-15 range, but let us know what it is. Can describe your water softener.

Actually, I don't recommend a mineral AN filter as they will need to struggle very hard to raise to near 7, or neutral. You may need a chemical such as soda ash or sodium hydroxide.

If you use a chemical feed system, there will no raise in hardness.

Of course, accurate tests on water hardness and iron if any is always the best way to start.

sir
the water softener has the capacity for 5 people. The AN filter i need is? How much is it? where do i get it?
thank you for your time
You have a blessed day
Geoffrey Gross

Sir, obviously you don't know how to size a softener and bought from some web site or salesman that didn't do a good job in educating you about correctly sizing your softener before accepting your payment.

As I've said; The price depends on the size, the size depends on how many people in the family, the number of bathrooms and the type of fixtures in them...just like the softener. That means that no one can tell you the size without much more info from you.

And using an AN filter to treat a 5 pH will add much more hardness than 4-6 gpg. Done right, it will be up to twice that. I have done it many times and it sounds as if someone here has no experience in it.

Also, if you think about it, no one here can say your softener will be OK without knowing a lot more info, but especially without knowing what size it is. Right?

mr slusser

sir
In my post to you #5 i told you there were 2 people living here. i told you the water closets were water savers 1.6 gal a flush and i told you that we had a large bathtub. i have been a plumber since 1973. the information i gave you will show approximate water usage. size of house is not relevant. Water usage is. the amount of fixtures is not relevant water usage is.as i described in my post #5. i gave you all the details you asked for. I bought a water softener good for a family of 5. Also sir the only factor in a water softener is gpm and the amount of water it softens a day.also inlet and outlet which have to be 3/4" as that is the size of the piping to it.
Thanks for your time
Geoffrey Gross
Ps did you read my post #5 as it answered all the things you asked me in this post. I would appreciate your help.As i have recently learned there are systems that correct ph without increasing ph with soda ash orsodium hydroxide..either way tell me about a system in your opinion that is good for a family of 2 and for a family of 5. .There is no need to say i do not know what im talking about as its all about how many gallons a day, a month, that the unit has to process. its does not take a rocket scientist to know this. so please tell me what systems are out there and their names and prices. thank you again, for your time and expertice

mr slusser

sir
can you give ball park figures .name the system,manufacturer and 2 different models one for 2 people and 5 people. just ballpark figures. I will call the companys and ask their advice. I just have never delt with water with a ph of 5 before. but i have installed many water softeners using the manufacturers recomendations ,based on usage and how hard the water was. thanks

i told you the water closets were water savers 1.6 gal a flush and i told you that we had a large bathtub. i have been a plumber since 1973.

... size of house is not relevant. Water usage is. the amount of fixtures is not relevant water usage is. i gave you all the details you asked for. I bought a water softener good for a family of 5. Also sir the only factor in a water softener is gpm and the amount of water it softens a day.also inlet and outlet which have to be 3/4" as that is the size of the piping to it.
Thanks for your time Geoffrey Gross

Ps did you read my post #5 as it answered all the things you asked me

..... there are systems that correct ph without increasing ph with soda ash orsodium hydroxide.. either way tell me about a system in your opinion that is good for a family of 2 and for a family of 5. .There is no need to say i do not know what im talking about as its all about how many gallons a day, a month, that the unit has to process. its does not take a rocket scientist to know this. so please tell me what systems are out there and their names and prices. thank you again, for your time and expertice

You have not told me the peak demand the filter must be capable of treating, especially while filling the big tub.

The same applies to all softeners.

And if you think you don't have to size softeners and filters based on the peak demand gpm of the house, then you are wrong.

I've been selling water treatment for 22+ years. And what I have told you is correct. I have a very successful internet business selling softeners etc. to DIYers, mostly because I know what I'm talking about. Check my Profile here and do a search for my name and see for yourself.

Using a solution feeder to inject soda ash etc. has a number of disadvantages that a sacrificial mineral filter does not have, and they usually cost less while taking up much less space. One downside with 5 pH water is a slimy feel to the water because of the volume of soda ash required. A disadvantage of an AN filter is that you have to have a water pump that can successfully backwash the size of the filter you need. The pump must produce and deliver the proper gpm at the pressure required.

No one can go over all that with you in a post, we would have to speak about all of it.

BTW, I don't sell a brand name softener or filter. All my stuff is nonproprietary off the shelf stock equipment using components from the largest US made brand name manufacturers of those components, that you can get service or parts for from many online or local dealers, or me. I order all components separately. I've always built my equipment that way (22 yrs). And what I sell to a homeowner is what I sell to commercial establishments, some of it is teh same size or larger for commercial. I use Clack or Fleck control valves, Structural Fibers mineral tanks and Clack brine tanks etc.. All of it must be, has to be, is, sized based on the peak demand gpm flow rate that is going to be run through it. You screw that up, the equipment fails. It's like sizing a well pump or, the plumbing for a house! use 3/4" when you should have used 1.25", THINGS don't work well, as I am positive you are aware of.

gary slusser

gary,
Very impressive. you do know your stuff. so tell me exactly what you need to know and what you want me to do. As i have built reverse osmosis filter systems for homes as well as for commercial use. and a house under the sink or single line unit is much different from a commercial system. ie the holding tank. i now understand you know your stuff.i do appreciate your time.i guess we will figure this out.
thanks
geoffrey

water

Im presently having the water tested. i mailed it out 5 days ago. so i will know exactly. what is in the water and what amounts and percentages. also they will furnish me with acceptable levels and the highs and lows on each item found in the water. I will get back to you. thanks Geoffrey Gross

water

I just received the results from a water testing lab. The ph of my water is 7, so im not using anymore kits. As that is what told me my water was a ph of 5. They also told me the water was hard so now i do not have to worry about a ph system, i will install the water softener and thats that. Thank you all for your input. G gross